Chapter Two
Standing now outside the Cylon's cell, Starbuck scowled as she watched Gauis Baltar try to coax the Six into taking a piece of fruit he held on an outstretched palm. Kara grimly wondered how many of the civilian ships of the fleet had any access to fresh produce, but then her eyes narrowed as she noted the way the green BDUs hung on the too thin frame and accentuated the way the prisoner hunched in on herself. Extensive bruising encircled the Cylon woman's wrists and ankles, and other glimpsed wounds made it apparent that she had been iaggressively/i interrogated.
Since coming aboard Pegasus, Kara had heard the rumors of torture and abuse…then what had happened with Sharon on Galactica had given them a basis in fact. Yet seeing the physical evidence in person was a disturbing reminder of her own turn as an interrogator. At the time, she'd shoved down the conflicting emotions her session with Leoben had stirred, but they returned now as she watched the prisoner flinch when Gauis took a step closer.
Starbuck felt the black-clad guard at her side shift and glanced over at him, catching the slight leer and nasty glint in the man's gaze as he turned from watching the prisoner to meet her regard.
"She give you much trouble?" she asked nonchalantly, swinging fully to face the lanky Marine.
"Not since Lieutenant Thorne broke her to the saddle." The twist of the Corporal's lips abruptly dropped at her withering look and he quickly came to attention with a hastily tacked on, "Sir."
"The saddle?" she asked, repulsively aware of what the guard probably meant, yet the implication was sickening and she couldn't choke back her negating question, grasping for some other interpretation.
"Yeah, you know. We ride her lik—"
"Shut your frakkin' mouth," Starbuck snarled, cutting him off as she surged in close. The young Marine, though some five inches taller, took a half step back, bravado quickly deflating on finding himself the focus of a glare so filled with sudden loathing.
"It-it was orders—I didn't—I jus—"
The crack of the open-handed slap was shockingly loud, reverberating off the metal walls. Shock paled the man's face, making the red imprint on his cheek that much more vivid.
"Told you to shut the hell up!" Kara's palm stung and fingers ached from the tight fists she now held rigidly at her sides, only just restraining the urge to do more to this…this…
"You like following orders, soldier? Then keep your damned trap closed and give me your frakkin' key card," she snapped out instead.
"Wh—" He wisely clamped his jaw on the barely formed question and reluctantly pulled the cell key from his uniform pocket, holding it out to her and hastily dropping his hand as the square of coded plastic was snatched from his grasp.
"Now get outta my sight," she said, voice menacingly low.
As his eyes moved from the cell to the exit hatch and back to her, she could read the conflict in his expression. He'd face a severe penalty if the Admiral determined that he'd abandoned his post, but he was also facing charges of refusing a direct order if he didn't. The contempt in her glare jolted him into motion and he edged around her.
Not bothering to turn to watch his retreat, Starbuck waited until she heard the double hiss of the exit hatch as it opened and then closed before swinging back to face the cell.
She caught the contemplative look on Baltar's face. Unable to hear what had passed between her and the guard, he was undoubtedly curious. Well, she wasn't about to indulge him with an explanation. Speaking of which, why the hell was he alone in the cell with an unrestrained Cylon prisoner? With an impatient shake of the head, she shoved the question aside. It didn't matter, not anymore at least.
Pulling her sidearm from its holster, she swiped the key card with the other and stepped cautiously back from the door as it slid open.
"Out, Doc," Starbuck ordered, voice neutral as she kept the pistol leveled on the Cylon where she stood, back pressed to the far wall.
"Lieutenant Thrace, I don't—" Baltar started to protest as he moved into her line of fire.
"Shit, Gauis, get outta the way!" she snapped out, moving to the side to get a clear bead on the prisoner again. "And get your ass outta there, right frakkin' now!"
An urge to just shoot them both flickered through her as the man still hesitated. If he was taking a 'turn' with the prisoner he damn well deserved one between the eyes. But the impulse passed as she noted the defensive way he tried again to come between her and the Cylon. And moreover, the brutalized woman didn't seem to fear Gauis now, there was only despair in the wounded eyes as they locked on hers over his shoulder.
The echoes of agony reflected in the washed-out blue gaze was enough to make Kara falter, her hand unconsciously lowering. Hands partially raised, Gauis sidled forward, halting just inside the open hatch.
"What's this about, Lieutenant?" he asked, and Kara noted the sweat glistening on his high forehead and upper lip.
"It's Captain now," she automatically corrected, "and I have orders to put her—it—down. So just step out and let me get this over with." Her focus was back on the prisoner and she'd leveled the gun again, not trusting the Cylon now that it knew what was to come.
"No. No, you can't. The Admiral sa—"
"The Admiral's given the order. She wants this thing gone."
Before he could protest further, the Six moved from her place over to the side so Kara's line of fire was unhindered.
"I'm ready," the low voice said. "Do it."
"Right." Starbuck's hand firmed on the pistol as she sighted on the center of the Cylon's chest.
Several things happened with such speed that they blurred together: Gauis started forward—a protest half spoken even as a hand from behind Kara descended on her outstretched arm, swiftly forcing it down and stripping the gun in one fluid motion, then a second hand hit the emergency override button, causing the cell door to sweep closed…with Baltar barely avoiding getting cleaved as he cleared its path.
Starbuck instinctively twisted and struck out, fist connecting with Lee's jaw before she'd even recognized him.
"Damn, Kara, stop!" Lee said as he caught his balance against the corner of the door with his free hand.
"What the hell?" she yelled, then took a breath and held out her palm. "Lee, give me my gun," she demanded, consternation and anger tearing her between averting her head from his scowl and following up with another punch to wipe away the familiar disapproval.
"What are you doing, Kara? You're going to shoot an unarmed prisoner?"
"Just following orders. You remember those, Lieutenant?" she bit back, emphasizing his new rank.
"Orders? Whose? Because this isn—"
"Whose do you think? Admiral Cain's, of course." Her eyes flitted to the side where Gauis stood uncertainly watching them. Then she grabbed Lee's elbow and tugged him several strides down the corridor, and in a lowered hiss, "What? You think he ordered this, too?" she asked, knowing that Lee would understand the who.
He shook her hand loose and opened his mouth to reply, but the harsh buzz of the brig's wall phone preempted him.
After flitting a glare from Lee to Gauis, she turned and quickly covered the distance, lifting the receiver on an inhale.
"Brig, report!" Admiral Cain's voice demanded, loud enough that Kara was certain both men behind her could easily hear.
"Starbuck here," she automatically answered, then grimaced, knowing that she should have used her rank in this instance. She had to start wrapping her mind around the fact that she was the CAG now, and that took precedence over her status as the fleet's top Viper jock.
"I'm showing an emergency lockdown, Captain," the Admiral said, obviously noting her lapse. "Give me a Sitrep!"
At a glance back at her avid audience, an explanation presented itself.
"The civilian, Doctor Baltar, accidently leaned on the override, Sir," she lied, taking a small satisfaction at the outraged expression that reddened Gauis' face. "I was just removing him from the Cylon's cell, Admiral," she added.
"Understood," There was a long pause on the other end, but then Cain's voice chilled as it lowered. "See to your duties, Captain."
Kara's head twitched back as the click of the connection ending struck her as a slap. White knuckles gripped the handset before she took a breath and returned the receiver to the wall mount, and only then swiveled to face the two anxious men.
She gave Gauis a cold stare. "Doctor Baltar, you need to leave." Then, turning without waiting to see if he obeyed, her eyes narrowed on Lee where he stood with her service pistol still held at his side. "Don't know what you're doing here, Lee, but you heard the Admiral. I've got duties, so just give me back my gun and go," she said, moving forward with her hand held out expectantly.
With a hint of reproach, "I was just checking on Tyrol and Helo," he said, hitching a thumb toward a side corridor leading to more cells, "when I heard you."
Kara's eyes flicked the way he'd pointed and a spasm of guilt tightened her chest. She'd meant to come down and see them, see if she could get them anything, but there always seemed to be something else that needed doing first. Well, it didn't matter. After tomorrow's mission—and the black op—they should be safe, she thought, trying to reassure herself.
Pushing the concern for the pair aside with an awkward shrug, she resolutely pulled her focus back to the current impasse.
"Lee, this isn't yo—"
"You can't do this, Kara. It's wrong," Lee cut her off, voice firm, but she saw the hesitation in his eyes now. As he shifted the gun further from reach, her frustration boiled up again. He had the gall to pull this crap on her? Especially knowing about the other order she'd been given—by the Old Man, no less?
Stepping half a pace back, she gave him a blatantly contemptuous once over before saying, "Wrong?" She gave a headshake in disbelief. "Riiiiight, coming from you, that's a joke. As I remember it, you were all for shooting a Cylon prisoner when it was Sharon. So what's changed, Lee? Cause that," with a negligent wave towards the figure on the other side of the barrier, "is just another frakkin' Cylon."
Lee tucked the gun into his waistband at the small of his back and stepped into her, lightly gripping Kara's biceps as he held her resentful gaze.
"I was wrong then," he said, "and you are now. Look, you stopped me, now let me do the same for you."
"For me?" Her eyebrows rose as she pulled from his grasp. "You think you're doing this to what…save me, huh, Lee?" A grimace twisted her mouth. "I'm following orders, like you're always telling me to."
"Not this, Kara. It's an illegal order."
"Killing the enemy's illegal? What text books you been reading, cause I'm pretty sure that's our job description. So, just go. Leave me to do mine."
"No, you can't…" trailing off, Lee rubbed at his eyebrow. "Look, Cain's just testing you. You don't understand."
"I don't understand? That's rich, even for you."
"Captain, I think you really should—" Gauis started, only to break off as Kara and Lee both turned on him with fierce scowls. "Nevermind, I'll…I'll just wait over there." He gave a vague waved in the opposite direction from the pair and retreated a few steps.
Crossing her arms, Starbuck paced away from both men, shooting Gauis a frown as she realized he hadn't left as ordered and was obviously taking in their whispered byplay with a desperate intensity she found perplexing. She didn't have time to ponder why he was so bent on protecting the Cylon woman. But, Kara was again reminded that she had to be circumspect about what she said.
With her back to them, she paused, scrubbing at her face as she fought to regain her balance. Lee always did this to her. Twisted her with his over-thinking. She didn't need this crap. Not now. Not this close to the mission.
It should be simple. Execute the prisoner—the enemy. And the clincher—the Cylon was all for it—wanted the hell out of here. And yet Lee was trying to tell her that she shouldn't even though he was willing to back her on killing a superior officer—another human.
She shook her head in disbelief.
This is frakkin' ridiculous!
Spinning back to confront Lee, she stalked in close, voice pitched to a low murmur, "You know my orders, what I have to do. Yet you have a problem with this, Lee?" she demanded, jabbing a finger back toward the cell. "Well, get a clue, cause you're right. Cain's testing me. And if I don't do this—don't follow her orders in this—you think she's just going to go 'Well, that's ok, Captain. Don't worry about it'," she mocked, then pushed to within inches of him as her voice dropped to a whisper she was sure couldn't be overheard, "No. She'll replace me. Probably stick me in the same cell." Hands on hips, Starbuck tilted her head defiantly. "And I won't be there when the Old Man calls." She let the bitter anger surface as she taunted, "So, come on, Lee. What the frak am I suppose to do, huh?"
"Gods, Kara, I don't know," he said, distress drawing horizontal lines across his brow. Her eyes were caught by the flexing of the muscle along his jaw. Then he muttered, "I'll do it."
"What?" she asked, not sure what he'd meant, that she'd even heard him correctly.
"I said I'd do it."
"You?" Nonplused, "You're going to shoot the prisoner?" she demanded, searching Lee's face, seeing a resolve harden his expression.
"No."
"Then what—"
"I'll do the other thing. It should be me anyway. I outrank you. Or, I use to," he faltered briefly before adding, "It should've been me he asked."
Kara rocked back, shaking her head. He didn't…he couldn't mean what she thought.
"Lee, no."
He continued as if he hadn't heard her, "If you can't, then I'll do it," the spoken words were devoid of emotion and this time he was the one to turn away.
She reached out and yanked him around by the shoulder. "You don't know if you can even get close. It won't work," her words a harsh whisper.
"I'll make it work," though she was barely able to hear his low promise, they carried a conviction she couldn't doubt. "Kara, trust me on this. I'll find a way if the order comes down."
Lee was willing to do it. Willing to take the lead in an act that she knew he considered a betrayal to his oath and everything that he stood for. Why? She didn't understand why he'd rather face being a traitor to his principles verses just letting her execute the Cylon prisoner.
Kara bent her head, fingers hard against her forehead as she tried to massage some sense into her thoughts. The headache now pressed in on her, making it even more difficult to understand Lee's issue with this whole frakkin' mess. She grimaced. She knew she was tired, the quarters weren't that much different from Galactica's, but…well, her bunk was newer, and a hell of a lot softer than her old one, but it wasn't hers. Between the constant tossing to get comfortable and the familiar—and yet palpably different—sounds of the her bunkmates, Kara's sleep had been far from restful.
And now she had to deal with Lee on top of everything else.
Raising her head, she wearily searched his eyes.
"I don't get it, Lee. Why's this so important to you?" her voice distantly inquiring now. "What's it matter if I shoot one more Cylon or not?"
"You're important to me. Ok?" His free hand took hers and squeezed. "Shooting a helpless prisoner, one that's been abused like she has, it'll mess with you. I know you, Kara, and it'll tear you up. You won't admit it, but, before your gods, you know it's wrong and it'll eat at you. This execution has no purpose."
Her eyes shifted away, but were pulled irresistibly back to his.
"So you think you're saving me, saving my soul? Is that it, Lee? I thought you didn't believe in the gods?" She half-heartedly tried to pull her hand free, but he held tight.
"I don't—but you do."
"Gods, Lee. What do you expect from me?" The anger was completely gone now, only an echo of frustration still laced her plea.
"Don't do this. Promise me you won't do this, Kara." His hand released hers, but only so it could slide up and behind her neck, pulling her close so their foreheads touched. "Promise me."
Hazel eyes locked to his azure ones. She swallowed protests and wet her lips to give the only answer she could to Lee Adama.
"I promise."